Home is Where the Hearth Is
As the leaves turn to orange and the crisp air invigorates our soul, the embers of the fire’s glow bring us closer to home.
How primal it is to sit and stir up the coals and then throw on another log. Something so simple reaches deep within the spirit and takes us back in time, to a memory of basic needs from long, long ago.
There are many different ways to warm the home with a fireplace or stove. From wood, to pellets to natural gas and propane, there are a variety of choices on the market.
As times and circumstances change our use of different fuels change with the economic times. There was a time not so long ago when we depended upon wood exclusively. Then along came propane and made our lives simpler, but now perhaps more expensive. Depending upon the efficiency of ones fire place or wood stove, it’s a trade off as far as expenses, ambiance and heating.
At Sierra Design Studio, we put in a very efficient gas fireplace several years ago when the building was remodeled. The “extraordinaire” brand insert has been a favorite of mine and I have recommended it to many homeowners over the past several years.
The fireplace in the store is a majestic piece of work, with beautiful multi colored stones, a concrete slab hearth (that’s great to sit on when it warms up from the fire) and it has an incredible carved mantel piece that I designed and that was craved by a local artesian.
As well, above the mantel, there is a faux painted chimney section that was painted to look like slate. Over all it may have been one of the most copied fireplaces in the area! People are always coming into the store to take photos of it!
I have lived in a home that was heated exclusively with wood before. That was when we had electric heat and the price of wood was within reason. The only issue is…the time it takes to hear the home after starting the fire. That can be an issue unless you have an extremely efficient wood burner.
From all stone, to brick, to even plaster, there are a wide variety of styles that can by used to enhance one’s home with a beautiful fireplace. I’ve always found it to be a central part of the home that in our colder climate brings a sense of warmth and togetherness in the home unlike any other element.
It’s a great source of comfort and can also help with utility cost when the correct choices are made in the large variety of fireplace choices.
One of the issues with having a fireplace is always; how do you start the fire?
How many times have you tried to start a fire with damp or wet wood? Nothing is worse than having a smoldering fire with smoke permeating the room and discoloring the mantel and everything else. Those of us who have lived here for a while have been through the challenges of this situation many times until we got it right. The best way to avoid this problem is to always store your wood in a dry place, like a garage or a covered storage area. If you can keep the wood away from any drip line of the roof overhang, that will help to keep it dry. Even covered wood that has a tarp on it is subject to the perils of the winter weather.
So when it comes to lighting the fire, always start with dry wood or kindling. If you get the fire going well and it is hot and has been burning for a while, putting a damp log on it won’t hurt. The only downside to this is that it does create more smoke and that will have a tendency to cause your chimney to become more soot filled which then in turn causes your fire not to draw as well…so it’s a vicious circle.
Many people still use newspaper to start a fire, but using paper also can cause smoke that can then dirty the chimney. A great way to light a wood fire is to have a gas log lighter. Is that cheating?
Well it works and it is easier and cleaner than using paper or cardboard.
There are the “fire starters” that you can buy at the store that have a combustible or oil base product infused inside of it that also works very well.
The main thing is, make sure that the flue is open first, have dry wood and small enough pieces of wood that will light and then make sure you have a reliable ignition source for a quick lighting and long burning hot fire.
Enjoy the fire, dry your mittens and relax next to one of life’s simple and most primal joys!
The types of fireplaces and “stove” vary dramatically. Gone are the days in Mammoth when you could have a large open fireplace. The EPA standards have changed all of that and anytime on a holiday in the winter, we are all glad for that. With the inversion layer we get on a cold clear night, thousands of fireplaces going, one can hardly breath sometimes!
The latest in fireplace inserts have filters and a multitude of ducting regulations so that the particulates are minimized.
These inserts provide a maximum of heat with a fraction of the fuel that they used to take. The efficiency is phenomenal.
The hearth is a very important factor for any fireplace. The right size and height is critical. The depth can also create problems if it is too deep. Who wants to try to tend to a fire if you have to get up on to a hearth and try to throw a log into it without being able to reach comfortably over the depth and carefully place the log without dropping it or missing the spot that you need it to be.
Height is important if you want to sit on it. Normal seat height is between 17-20” high and that is suitable for a hearth that you want to sit on.
Some fireplaces are on the floor level and that is a style that was probably more popular earlier in the 20th century. To heat the house better and draw the cold air from the floor would be my conclusion as to why the firebox would be at floor level. It’s much easier to attend a fireplace that has a raised hearth and enjoy the warmth that is reflected from the fire.
It’s also very important to keep combustible materials away from the fire area. In front of a floor style fireplace there should be a stone type material to keep any embers from catching the floor area on fire. There are also fireproof rugs that you can put in front of the hearth to help with this.
Tools are important too. It’s common to have a log roll out of the fireplace and on to the floor or hearth. The best tool for this are tongs that are big enough to grab a normal size log and pick it up without dropping it before you get it back into the fire box.
Of course the most important aspect of having a fireplace is what happens with the ashes.
Do not put them in a cardboard box and put it outside on a deck! This is the most common way that homes have burned to the ground in the Eastern Sierra.
If ashes are ever removed, always make sure that they are cold and put them in a fireproof container.
My experience is to keep the ashes in the fireplace and not clean out the box very often as the ashes will continue to burn down and they also keeps the fire more insulated and helps it to burn better if it is not interfering with the air flow to the fire. A fire grates with plenty of clearance with keep the ashes below and the air circulation available to the flames.
Enjoy the beautiful fall that is upon us and ready yourself for the cold days to come. Your fireplace can bring much comfort and warmth if handled correctly and treated with common sense and careful reverence.
Enjoy the wildness and magic of fire!
